27 December, 2013

5 hotels in Tuscany which were once castles

These historic castles and palaces in Tuscany have all been beautifully restored and renovated into hotels, while retaining all the features of their original medieval or Renaissance architecture. These original features obviouly influence each one of these hotel interior designs. Most of the castle hotels on the list are ideally situated as a starting point for excursions to wine tasting and sightseeing in the medieval history of the area. These castle hotels are definitely a good choice for those who appreciate luxury travel and time travel, at the same time. It would be certainly an exclusive hotel experience.

Located in the heart of the Chianti wine region, Montebenichi Castle is a castle of the 12th century standing on a hill surrounded by a large private park, with views of the Valdambra. The small village of Montebenichi is an excellent starting point to discover the artistic, natural and gastronomic beauties of the area, in the heart of the Chianti region. Among olive groves, vineyards and medieval villages, the Chianti road leads to southwest of Montalcino, well-known by Brunello world famous wines and southeast of Montepulciano, home of Vino Nobile. Perugia, Orvieto, Assisi and Florence are all within an hour’s drive away, Arezzo and Siena can be reached in just 30 minutes.

Spaltenna castle is also located in the Chianti region, in the town of Gaiole. It’s just a few minutes away from the most popular cities in the wine region of Chianti Classico, such as Radda, Panzano, Castellina, Greve and Castelnuovo Berardenga. Surrounded by vineyards and woods, the medieval village of Spaltenna includes a fortified monastery with a cloister and bell tower dated of 1000 AD. The castle dates back to 1030. Facilities and activities include a spa, oil and wine therapy treatments, a turkish bath and indoor (heated) and outdoor swimming pools. Siena and Florence are within easy reach.

Tornano Castle is located in an old farmhouse dated of 11th century, surrounded by cypress trees, vineyards and olive groves. The first mention of the ‘court’ are back to actually dates from the year 790 during the reign of Carlo Magno, in Italy. In the wine cellar, which is in the prison of the castle, guests can taste the Chianti Classico wine and olive oil produced by the Hotel.

The Gargonza Castle is a fortified town of the 13th century, situated in the beautiful Val di Chiana and offers rooms and apartments with bed and breakfast. The first news of Gargonza date from 1150, citing a fortified castle along the road from Arezzo to Siena. It is this same castle that Dante has spent a few days in exile. The rooms and apartments are all located inside the medieval village. The medieval structure also includes an outdoor swimming pool, private gardens, a restaurant and a conference center.

The area of the historical center of Florence, where the hotel is located, was originally settled by craftsmen and tradesmen. The Hotel Palazzo Guadagni was built for a silk merchant named Riniero Bernardo Dei in 1500. Today, the building is an elegant 3 star hotel, decorated in a vintage style that reflects its aristocratic origins.

Ethereal interior with our Symphony sideboard, whose contemporary design emulates the grandeur of traditional church organ pipes. This buffet features an exotic wood body enveloped in a tubular cluster of gold plated polished brass tubes that convey a rhythmic flow to a space. Listen to its music at bit.ly/symphonysidefb...Read less